Pulverizer for oil-engines.



W. H. FROST.

PULVERIZER FOR OIL, ENGINES.

AFPUCATION FILED OCT. I. I912. 1,157,305. Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

Capillary but 3 3 6 6 4 Capillar- Passage F |g 2 Capiflarg SpaceWitnesses: Inventor? William H. Frost,

3;, @g Fig.6. MW DH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R FROST, 9F ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB T GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PULVEBIZEB FOB OIL-ENGINES.

Specification of letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Wnmm): H. Fnosr, a citizen of the United States,residing :11: Erie, county of Erie, State of Pennsylvania, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Pnlverizers for Oil-Engines, ofwhich the following is a specifiwtion.

My present invention relates to pulverizers. injectors or atomizers forrging fuel such as crude oil into the combustion space of an engine, andmore especially to that type of engine which fires the fuel charge bythe heat of eomprwion.

The object of my invention is to provide a pulverizer, injector oratomizer of improved construction which is capable of finely dividingeach fuel charge prior to its injection into the engine. is efficient inits action from no load to full load, and is simple and cheap toconstruct.

In a device of this character it is of fundamental importance first, todeliver the fuel mthecombustionspaceoftheengineina very finely dividedstate, and second to discharge the fuel charge received from a measuringdevice such as a pump as completely as posible on each working stroke ofthe engine.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention,attention is directed to the accompanying description and claimsappended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments ofmy invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a pulverizerembodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of theinterior portions of the pulverizers; Fig. 3isacrosssectiontakenonlineMofFig. 1:Fig.=1isacro$sediontakcn on line-l1of Fig. 1; Fig- 5 is :1 cm section taken on line5-5 ofFig'.1,andFig.6isaviewin and elevation of an oil engine fitted with myimproved pnlverizer.

Referr ngto Fig. 5, 7 indicates the base of the engine and 8 thecylinder thereof. Located within the cylinder are pistons 9 and 10 whichmove in cppote directions and are connected by suitable rods with themain shaft 11 indicates the pulverizer, injector or atomizer whichdischarges fuel into the space 12 under the control of lever 13 and acam 1L the latter being driven by the main shaft of the engine.

Referring to Fig. 1. 15 indicates the casmg of the pulverizer that ischambered out to receive the parts to be hereinafter described. Locatedwithin the casing is a means which acts to break up the fuel into finelydivided particles that are subsequently injected into the combustionspace 12. This means comprises a plate 16 that is seated on an internalshoulder formed in the casing and a tubular member 17. the latter beingseated on the plate. Between the end face of the tubular member and theadjacent face of the plate 16 are capillary ducts 18. These ducts may beformed in the plate or in the member 17, or partly in the plate andpartly in said member. As showmthey are formed in the member and arearranged substantially tangential to its bore. This latter feature isadvantageous in breaking up the fuel into small particles. Anotheradvantage in the use of a large number of capillary ducts which areclosely related resides in the fact. that all of the air passing throughthe bore of said means is active in breaking up the fueL asdistinguished from a column of air acting on a few and rather widelyseparated fuel streams as would be the case with drilled holes Thesecapillary ducts should be numerous, and the aggregate cross sectionalareas thereof should be great enough to carry all of the fuel necessaryfor maximum load conditions during the inter val of time that the needlevalve is open to admitfuel to the engine. Making the ducts as describedresults in a material saving in the costof manufacture over drilling,and at the same time permits of their being accurately made withordinary machine tools at low cost. It also permits of their being madesmaller than would be practical b? drilling. The arrangement also hasthe advantage that. said ducts can be readily cleaned. and due to theirlarge number the liability of trouble due to stoppage thereof ismateriall reduced.

The tubular member 17 is held in place by a retaining element 19; saidelement being provided with a cylindrical part. 20 which is arranged toslip over the member 17 and be separated therefrom by one or morecapillary Spaces 21, which space may be annular in form or it may becomposed of a large number of longitudinal pa$ages separated by ribs orprojections that serve to center the parts with respect to each other.Owing to its capillary nature it prevents the free entrance of oil intothe air passages 24 and chamber :27 but at the same time permits aport-ion of the air blast to directly sinistin forcing fuel into theengine. The left hand end of said element is separated from the plate 16by an annular capillary passage 22 occupyingwrplane perpendicular to thems of the pulverizer. This capillary pasage conveys oil from the supplychamber to all the capillary ducts 1S and space or spaces 21. From Fig.2 it will be seen that the tubular member 17 has rear projections 23formed thereon with passages between, and the retaining element 19engages these projections and forces the member 17 against the plate 16.It will also be seen that these projections act as means to hold theleft hand and of the retaining element away from the plate 16 and formthe capillary pasage 92- The retaining element is provided with aplurality of an larly disposed holes 24 as best shown in Fig. 4. Thepurpose of these holesis to permit high presure air from the blastreceiver to force oi] through the capillary space or spaces andcapillary ducts into the engines The parts previously described are heldin position the casing by a follower 25 which is screw threaded at itsright hand and into the casing. This follower is provided with centeringprojections 26 as best shown in Fig. 5, and between these projectionsare air ges communicating with the blast air chamber 2", the latterreceiving air from the conduit QSn'hich is connected to a blast receiveror air compress.

30 indicgtnsa need fle glalre which puma throught e center 0 e easing anen gages a beveled seat formed near the left hand end thereof. valvecontrols the passages of fuel and compresed air into the engme the flameplate 31, said flame plate being provided one or more suitably shapeddischarge orifices 32. The valve stem is at its right hand end by:nut-53whichischamheredouttoreceive a 3i. The is placed under compressionby a gland and nut 35. The intermediate of thevalve stem is gmded by theelement- 19 and the follower 25. It is important from an operativestandpoint to guide the as fully as possible to prevent it from gettingout of slmement, and also to prevent it from wearmg out its guides Itwill be notedthat the plate 16 and tuhula: manber 17 are provided acentral open ended bore forming a nozzle through which the needle valveextends, there being a relatively small annular air space 36 between thevalve stem and the wall of the bore It will also be noted that thenozzle passage is large in cross section at the right hand end andgradually decreases to about the plane of the discharge ends of thecapillary ducts 1S and thence gradually enlarges. thus forming a Venturitube or derice. The object of this an'angemeutis to accelerate the blastair and cause a lower pressure at the discharge ends of said capillarvducts 18 than exists in the blast chamber 27. It is to be further notedthat the ducts 18 instead of being perpendicular to the axis of theneedle valve are inclined in the direction of flow of the fluid throughthe pulverizer. The objectof this armngement is to increase thepulverizing and suction effect of the blast air on the fuel as it flowstoward the engine.

Surrounding the retaining element 19 is a fuel containing supply chamber37 which communicates with the capillary passage 22 and ducts 18. Fuelis forced into the supply chamber from the conduit 38 by a. suitablepump driven by the engine or otherwise. The pump should be soconstructed and arranged as to maintain the supply chamber 37 full offuel at all times. On each discharge stroke of the pump fuel will beforced from the chamber 37 through the capillary pasage 22 into thecapillary space or spaces 21 and ducts 18. It will be sea: that thecapillary pasage 22 feeds fuel to the capillary ducts 18 and to thecapillary space or spaces 21 in multiple thereby avoid- Eng exce$ivefriction. the amount passing into the space being determined by theamount discharged from the supply chamber. One advantage in providingthe capillary passage 22 and placing it between the supply chamber 37and the capillary space 21 resides in the fact that in addition tokeeping the supply chamber 37 filled it prevents the compresed air fromworking into it- When theneedle Yalve ifs opened by the lever 13 againstthe gctio'n o closm' g spring, the air rushes through the conduit ber27. holes 24 and throng the chamber 36 around the needle valve, asubstantial drop in pressure taking place as it flows through said spaceAir at subdzantially admission pressure acts on the oil contained in thecapillary space or spaces 21. By reason of the suction effect of airpassing though the nozzle and is drop in presume the direct presure ofthe air acting on the oil in the capillary space or spaces 21, an amountof oil corresponding to that delivered by the measuring device or pumpon a giren stroke will be forced through the flame plate into thecombustion chamber 12. In practice the needle valve is only open for a"Ql'j brief interval of time, for examplgfrom one-fortieth toonefiftieth of a second; and durin the closed period the pump ormcas1rlilfl device forces oil into the relatively large annular chamber37 causing the same amolmt to he forced through the capillary passa 22,into space or spaces 21 and ducts 18. wing to the fact that the passages18 and space or spaces 21 are capillary in form,

oilis prevented from working out of them so long as the needle valve isclosed. By capillary passage, space, or duct, is meant one whose wallsare so close together at some point, giving due consideration to theviscosity of the fuel, that they serve to prevent the fuel from flowingby gravity from a source of supply to a region beyond The compreed airacts on the fuel at two points-first, at admision presure to push thefuel ahead of it out of the space 21; and second, at a lower pressureand higher velocity as it pases the ends of the ducts 18 at or near thethroat of the Venturi device where is acts to minutely divide the fuelcharge as the numerous anal] jets or streams of fuel isue from saidducts A. somewhat analogous action taken from the mechanical arts wouldbe that of a. rapidly moving file acting to cut of small particles ofthe work as it moves forward.

swillbeseemthecapillarypassagezn forms the important feature of myinvention since without it the fuel could freely flow from the supplychamber 37 by force of gravity and vibration of the engine to otherparts of the pulverizer where the same would accumulate. A?! additionalimportant feature resi es in e capillary' space or ces Q-Lwhich are opendirectly to the bla s t air inthechamber27,andfurtherinthecapillaryducts 1S piichfl prev-en; fuel in said space or spaces In owing y viinto thechamber36. Owingto thef ith iit the mpillary pasage retains thefuel I can opcrate the pulverizer in a vertical or horizontal'p'cs'tion, which is of great advantage because the same type ofpulverizer can then be used on horizontal or vertical types of anginawith equal facility. No attempt has been made to she; the exact size ofthe capillary passages nets and or ces owin gto the small scale of Ihave endeavored to show them clarly "and have thmfore madethemconsiderably largmthan in actual practice. Furthermore their size wouldnaturally vary somewhatwiththekindoffuelused.

(hvm' g to thepeculiarnatureof the parts of thc'pulvcrizer tothcfact-that they are completely when in operation, to the ln'iefinterval of operation percngmestmke and tothe further fact tintthelblas: pressrre is very high, pressurasfromfiflfltolmpoundspersquareinch not bcmguncommon, it isimpossible to state with exactnes how much of the pulverizing effect isdue to the reduction in air presure m the throat of the Venturi deviw,to the suction eifeet caused bythe blast air rushing past the ends ofthe capillary ducts and to the direct premure of the blast air on thefuel in capillary space 21, but they all contribute to the final result.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I ha vedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other meanslVhat I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a fuel pulverizer, the combination of a casing having a dischargeopening, means located therein containing an orifice and also acapillary pasage for the fuel, the latter communicating with theorifice, an annular supply chamber which supplies fuel to the capillarypassage, said pasage acting to prevent the flow of fuel by gravity fromthe chamber, a conduit for supplying fuel imder pressure and in suitablequantities to the chamber, means supplying an elastic fluid underpresure to the orifice, and a valve which pases through the means andcontrols the pasage of elastic fluid and fuel from the casing.

2. In a fuel pulverizer, the combination of acasinghavinga dischargeopening, a means ficatcdshegejin which (ixmtains anopen ended rean auralityo caplllary' ductsopening into the bore, a supply chamber that iscommon to the ducts and supplies fuel thereto, said ducts acting toprevent the flow of fuel by gravity into the bore, a means adapted tosupply fuel under presure to the chamber in measured quantifies, a meansadapted to supply elastic fluid under pres sure to said bore so that inflowing therethrough it passes the discharge ends of said capillaryducts, and a controlling valve that extends through said member.

3; In a fuel pulverizer, the combination ofacasinghavingadischargeopcning,a hollow means located therein which contains aplurality of ducts opening into its here, there being a mpillary spaceor spaces com munjcating with said ducts, a chamber for supplying fuelunder pressure to the said capillary space and ducts, said space orspaces acting to prevent the How of fuel by gravity, a controllingvalve, and mans for supplying an elastic fluid under pressure totheboreofsaidmcmberandtooneendof the capillary space or spaces.

4. ahfuel pulvezizer, the combination of a casing aving adischar eopemng' ,ameans lcliated tilereinhaving a dentral bore, a plura dry 0tangentially arranged capillary ducts which extend through the means tosaid bore, there being a capillary space or spaces that communicate withthe ducts, an annular chamber which supplies fuel to the capillary spaceor spaces and also to the ducts, said ducts acting to prevent the flowof fuel by gravity into the bore, a controlling valve, and means forsupplying air under ressure to convey the fuel from said capi lnry ductsand on illary space or spaces into and through said liore.

5. In a fuel pulverizer, the combination of a casing having an opening,a means lo cated therein comprising an end plate and tubular portionwhich contain .capillary ducts extending toward the center, a retainingportion which surrounds a part of the tu u ar portion and is separatedtherefrom by one or more capillary spaces, a chifinber supplying fuel tothe capillary. space and ducts, said capillary space or spaces acting toprevent the flow of fuel by gravity, a means supplying fuel to thechamber, a means for supplying elastic fluid to the capillary space 'andpassages, and a controlling valve.

6. In a. fuel pulverizer, the combination of a casing having an interna,shoulder and a discharge opening, a plate seated on the shoulder, atubular member that rests on the plate, there being capillary ductsbetween the plate and the end face of the member, an element that makesa snug fit in the casing, surrounds the tubular member and is separatedtherefrom by a capillary space, there being a capillary passage betweenone end of it and the plate, a follower for holding the parts within thecasing, means for supplying fuel through the capillary passage to thespace and ducts, a means for subjecting the fuel in said space and ductsto the effects of high pressure elastic fluid, and a controlling valve.

7. In a fueLpulverizer, the combination of a hollow casing having adischarge opening, a means seated in the casin a member that engagessaid means, there ing projections between said parts which maintain thema fixed distance apart and form ducts for fuel, said means and memberhaving a Venturi passage formed therein, means for bolding the parts inosition, means for su plying fuel to the nets, means for supp yingelastic fluid to convey fuel from the casing, and a controllin valve.

8. In a fuel pu verizer, the combination of a hollow casing having adischarge opening, a means seated in the casing, a member that engagessaid means, there being projections on one of said parts which maintainthem a fixed distance apart and form ducts for fuel, the said means andmember having a bore which forms a nozzle that diverges toward itsdischarge end, said ducts opening into the throat region of the nozzle,a controlling valve that passes through the bore, a means for supplyinliquid fuel to the ducts, and means for supp ying elastic fluid to saidbore to convey fuel in atomized condition from the casing.

said capillary 9. In a fuel pulverize'r, the combination of a casinghaving a discharge opening, a hollow means mounted therein havingcapillury ducts, said ducts opening into the interior of said means, afuel supply means, means defining a capillary passage between the supplymeans and the ducts, said capillary passage acting to prevent the How offuel by gravity from said supply means, a means supplying elastic fluidunder pressure to the hollow means to discharge the fuel from the casingas it issues from the ducts, and a valve controlling the passage of fueland air through said discharge opening.

10. In a fuel pulverizer, the combination with a casing having adischarge opening, a valve for controlling the passageof fueltherethrough, and a fuel supply chamber, of means defining a capillarypassage-which is interposed between the fuel supply chamber and theregion surrounding the valve, passage acting to prevent the How of fluidthrough it by gravity, and cap llary means to receive and hold the fuelagainst the action of gravity after it leaves the passage and beforeentering the engine.

11. In a fuel pulverizer, the comhination with a casing having adischarge opening, a valve for controlling the passage of fueltherethrough, and an annular fuel supply chamber, of capillary passagesdirectly connecting the chamber to the region around the dischargeopening, said capillary passage acting to prevent any flow of fuel fromthe chamber to the discharge opening by gravity.

12. In a fuel pulverizer, the combination of a casing having a dischargeopening, means located therein having a bore arrangedto form a Venturidevice, a'suppl chamber that is adapted to be kept filled with fuel andfrom which it is discharged in measured quantities, ducts that receivefuel and feed it into the throat egion of the Venturi device, capillarymean; which con vey fuel from the supply chamber to the ducts and alsoact to prevent the How of fuel by gravity from said supply chamber,conduit 'means admitting elastic fluid under Ill) pressure to thepassages and also to the Ven- M 5 turi device, and a valve that controlsthe passage of the mixture of fuel and air through the dischargeopening.

13. In a fuel pul'verizer, the combination of a casing having adischarge opening, a 'means located therein having a central bore, asupply chamber, ducts in the means discharging fuel into said bore,capillary conduit means through which fuel from the chamber passesbefore entering the ducts and which acts to prevent the flow of fuelfrom the means by gravity, there being a s ace or spaces communicatingwith the capillary conduit means and receiving fuel therefrom anddischarging into said ducts,

ducts, and also to the bore in a manner to cause it to flow past theends of said ducts when the valve is opened.

14. In a fuel pulverizer, the combination of a casing having a dischargeopening, means located therein containing an orifice and also ducts forthe fuel, said ducts opening into the orifice, a supply chamber, acapillary conduit means between the ducts and the chamber through whichfuel is delivered in measured charges, said means acting to prevent flowof fuel from the chamber by gravity, a conduit supplying the'chamberwith fuel, a conduit supplying elastic fluid under pressure to theorifice and also to the ducts, and a valve which passes through saidorifice and controls the "passage of fuel and elastic fluid from thecasing.

i 15. In a fuel pulverizer, the combination of a casing having adischarge opening, means located therein containing a central bore, avalve which extends through the bore and controls said opening, the wallof the bore being separated from the valve by a space, a supply chamberwhich is normally filled with fuel and to which it is admitted inmeasured quantities, a capillary conduit means through which fuel fromthe supply chamber passes, an axially extending chamber whichcommunicates with the conduit means and receives and temporarily holdsthe fuel charges, ducts which receive fuel from the axially extendingchamber and open into said bore, and means for supplying elastic fluidunder pressure to the axially extending chamber for forcing fueltherefrom and also to said bore where it acts on the numerous fuelstreams issuing from said ducts when the valve is opened.

16. In a fuel pulverizcr, the combination of a casing having a dischargeopening, a tubular member located therein having a central opening, asecond member which surrounds the first, there being a fuel receivingchamber or space between them, ducts which communicate with the centralopening at one end and with the fuel receiving chamber or space at theother, a supply chamber that normally contains fuel, capillary conduitmeans through which charges of fuel pass from the supply chamber to saidreceiving chamber or space, the capillary means acting to prevent theflow of fuel by gravity" from the supply chamber, conduit meansdelivering elastic fluid under pressure to said fuel receiving space andalso to said central opening, and a valve which controls the passage offluid through said discharge opening.

11. In a fuel pulverizer, the combination of a casing having a dischargeopening and a shoulder adjacent thereto, a plate that rests on theshoulder, a hollow tubular member that engages the plate at one end,projections between the plate and member that form fuel passages, asecond member that surrounds the first, there being a fuel receivingchamber or space between them, one end of the second member cooperatingwith a part of said plate to form a capillary conduit which is incommunication with said fuel receiving chamber or space, a supplychamber that normally contains fuel and communicates with the capillaryconduit, the latter preventing the flow of fuel from the chamber bygravity, means for retaining the said members in place, a conduitsupplying elastic fluid under pressure to the fuel recciving chamber orspace and to the opening in the tubular member, and a valve which, whenopened, permits the elastic fluid to force fuel from the receivingchamber or space through the discharge opening.

in witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day ofOctober, 1912.

WILLIAM H. FROST.

\Vitncsses IlnuMA'NN LEMP, JOHN G. FAnnAn.

orrectio nsin Letters Patent No. 1,157,305

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,157,305, gmntcdOctober 19, 1915, upon the application of William H. Frost, of Erie,Pennsylvania, for an improvement in Puiveriz is for ()il-Enginvx" errorsappear in the printed specification requiring correction as fellows:Page 3, iinc 19, for the word is" read '1: i same page. lim- 5!), fortho IHHINHIi mu rmui Ill/1U; mid that the said Letters 5 Patent shouldbe read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to therecord of the case in the Patent ()iiicc.

. Signed and sealed this 9th day of November, A. 1)., 1915.

7. T. NEWTON,

Acting Cmnmiss'ioner .f Patents.

[SEAL]

